Will WR Mackenzie Alleyne Be Able to Break Through at Oklahoma After 'Awesome Spring'?

NORMAN — Based on his performance throughout spring ball, Mackenzie Alleyne is shaping up to be an exceptional under-the-radar pickup for the Sooners.

Alleyne is a redshirt sophomore wide receiver who transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State in January. He is one of three wide receivers who signed with OU from the transfer portal, along with Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone.

Alleyne is a former walk-on, and he was unranked in the transfer portal after his second season at WSU. But his quiet addition to the roster is seemingly already paying off for the Sooners.

“He's had an awesome spring,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “He's a fierce competitor.”

Alleyne overlapped with Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer for one season in Pullman, as both of them came to OU from Washington State after the 2024 season. The receiver redshirted that year and did not appear in any games.

In 2025, Alleyne became a regular contributor for the Cougars and played in all 13 of their games. His most notable performance came during his final game with WSU, as he caught three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown in the Cougars’ 34-21 win over Utah State in the Potato Bowl.

Alleyne made a strong first impression on OU coach Brent Venables, as he called the wide receiver a “really good football player” early into spring ball.

Familiarity with Arbuckle and Mateer helped Alleyne settle into his new program quickly.

“They’re the same play calls I had at Washington State my freshman year,” Alleyne said. “It was just being there, relearning everything, it was easy to fit in.”

At the Sooners’ spring game on April 18, Alleyne proved that the praises he’s received from Arbuckle and Venables were well deserved.

Alleyne finished the game with three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, helping the “Red” team defeat the “White” squad 31-3.

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The wideout spent several weeks practicing and becoming a better receiver during spring ball. But Alleyne believes that the live reps he gained during the spring game will help him reach his potential during his first year at OU.

“It felt good to get out there, actually get some live reps knowing that I’ve got people coming in, tackling me,” Alleyne said. “It just makes me a little bit more aware, making sure of my surroundings, making sure I’ve got the plays correctly, making sure everyone around me has the plays correctly.”

Alleyne is one of several standout wide receivers who will compete for playing time in 2026.

Livingstone and Harris combined for 1,363 yards and 11 touchdowns at their respective Power Four schools — Texas and Virginia — in 2025. And speedy wideout Isaiah Sategna decided to return to Oklahoma after catching 67 passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns during his first season in Norman.

Alleyne’s addition provided much-needed depth to the Sooners’ wide receiver corps. And he hopes to add to what he described as a dynamic group of playmakers.

“I love the passing game,” Alleyne said. “Every time we get a chance to put the ball in the air, it’s the best thing in the world. All the receivers, we just want the ball in our hands, so every time that ball is in the air, we’ve got to come down to grab it.”

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